Concomitant Left Atrial Appendage Clipping During Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery: Technically Feasible and Safe.

Background: It is believed that most of thrombi form in the left atrial appendage (LAA)before they emboli. Different surgical and percutaneouse approaches were suggested to manage the LAA. In this study we are evaluating the safety of clipping the LAA via minithoractotomy approach.

Workflow improvement and impact of the new Beckman Coulter LH 1500 high throughput automated hematology workcell.

Our core laboratory at St. Joseph's Medical Center (SJMC) recently installed the new Beckman Coulter LH 1500 fully automated hematology workcell. Like many laboratories in North America and other parts of the world, we are under significant pressure to improve productivity, reduce costs, and improve service provision to our hospital and clinician bases.

Specific compliance and gas exchange during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation.

Objectives: To evaluate the use of specific compliance (static compliance/functional residual capacity) to adjust mean airway pressure, resulting in optimal gas exchange during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation in a surfactant-deficient newborn piglet.

Design: Prospective controlled animal study.

Setting: Laboratory.

Improving physicians' preventive health care behavior through peer review and financial incentives.

We assessed improvement of preventive health care behaviors by physicians in an independent practice association-health maintenance organization. A before-after, 3-year study of a defined cohort measured changes through chart audit, accompanied by peer review, feedback, and financial incentives. Outcome measures consisted of rates of mump-measles-rubella (MMR) immunization, screening for cholesterol levels, and charting adequacy.

An integrated approach to patient management in Parkinson's disease.

New concepts about the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease have emerged. For these concepts to be useful, they must be understood, and for them to be applied, the psychology of the patient and the patient's family must be understood. The initial consultation is crucial in establishing a successful relationship between a patient, family, and physician.